By America Guerrero

An Opportunity

My name is America Guerrero and I am a summer intern at the Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas. I heard about the Epilepsy Foundation through a summer program I was planning to attend at UTSA called Citymester.

Before my interview, I did some research on the organization. I was very surprised to see how many services and how much information they offered for anyone affected by epilepsy. This sounded like a perfect opportunity to get involved with the community. It was also a chance to be part of a foundation that helps families like mine.

A Family Connection

 My mother has been suffering from epilepsy since she was 15 years old after a traumatic head injury. Growing up, I didn’t really grasp why my mom was often “sick” in bed.

I remember my mom calling my dad’s name with panic. She had experienced an aura and knew she would soon fall to the ground and start seizing. My dad would then call out my name to let me know not to come into the room where my mom was having her seizure. After that would happen, I would see my mom in bed for the next two days, exhausted and disoriented.

New Understanding

I didn’t really understand what was happening to my mom until I got older and realized she was suffering from epilepsy. It was then that I understood why she could never play outside with me on a hot summer day, or stay up late with me watching movies on Friday night, or why she would always get mad when I would playfully scare or startle her. These factors, I learned, could trigger her seizures.

Seizure Free with New Treatment

It has been five years since my mom started to receive proper treatment. She hasn’t experienced a seizure since then. It’s hard to look back and realize that she wasn’t being properly taken care of for 25 years. She didn’t have health insurance or a true understanding of her condition.

I really wish we had known of a place like the Epilepsy Foundation in our home town of El Paso. For this reason, I was extremely excited to be a part of an organization that helps educate the community about epilepsy and how it affects thousands of families.

Giving Back

I have been an intern at the Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas for a week and I am currently helping prepare for Camp Brainstorm. I am extremely excited to be working as a counselor at this camp where kids with epilepsy get to focus on having fun and making memories instead of focusing on their condition.

However, there is a lot of paperwork, planning, and organization that must be taken care of for this wonderful experience to take place. This past week, I have helped with organizing all the camper files and making sure they contain all the important documents (i.e. medications, consent forms, and immunization records).

I have also helped keep stock of all the snacks that will be provided for the campers. This is very important because active kids must be kept hydrated and fed, especially when taking several doses of medication daily. My favorite thing I have helped with has been preparing each camper’s personalized backpack.

Looking Ahead

I look forward to all the fun I will be having with the kids at Camp Brainstorm. But, I am most excited and grateful to become further educated about a condition that personally affected my family and continues to affect the lives of many others.

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